Holidays, yearly celebrations, any and all gatherings and functions. what do they have in common?  Food.  Food that binds and brings together friends, family and strangers to a common cause.  It becomes the catalyst to promote, support and create conversations, dialogues with any two or more people.  It is amazingly powerful, not only does it nurish and feed the body, but also is paramount to the soul.  If any two or more gather, an underlying question or thought might be ” will there be something to eat”, or “I wonder what food will there be?” It is a total pleasure to the point of salivating at the anticipation of the actual act of eating the food.

From river side fishing trips, grand weddings, business meetings to memorials, and first dates, food will be present, the common thread. Food also is the velcro to our own cultures, family rituals and generational stories.  Its the adhesive that brings the past generations alive to the present.  What stories and rituals are we creating for our families of today and tomorrow? What a wondrous gift. 

How is it that baked goods; cookies, cakes, ice-cream and pies take on a friendly face for holidays, then turn around and almost become the enemy for us in relation to the diet war.  Does it have to be looked at as bad or good.  I think moderation is the key, but it appears that this simple one word is so difficult to attain.  Can we just have one piece of cake or cookie once in a while?  Diet foods prove not to work in replacement of our own judgement to quantity control.  Lets enjoy food for what it is and what its meant to be, lets keep it real with no substitutions or replacements.  It doesn’t work!  Looking forward to a Sunday dinner, holiday meal, leisure weekend brunch or a picnic can always be a constant positive in our lives.  Why not extend this celebration to our everyday living?